In
my Painter classes, I often hear my students say, "I can't
even draw a straight line!" Each time I hear this I have to
laugh because I don't know of anyone who is able to draw a straight
line unless they use a ruler. A straight line is no indicator of
whether or not one is able to draw. I firmly believe that everyone
has the ability to draw, and what holds most people back is a total
lack of confidence.

Of course, not everyone
can draw perfectly, and your individual drawing skill will depend on
how much or how little talent you possess; however, even if you're
unable to draw as well as your favorite artist, nevertheless, you
still possess the ability, with practice and training, to draw well
enough to achieve a personal sense of satisfaction. My belief in
everyone's ability to draw is a direct result of my exposure to of
one of my personal heroes, the artist, JonGnagy.

I believe
that you are an artist. I believe that everyone is an artist. When I
say this I am not trying to be sensational. I merely state it as a
conviction which has been proving itself for years in my beginners'
art classes.

—Jon
Gnagy

Jon became very famous in
the 1950's as a result of his TV show which continued to be shown
until 1970, a very long-running television show. I guess I was about
eleven when I discovered Jon, and I lusted after his "Learn to
Draw Kit". The kit was out of the question for my mother. In
those days a single parent, especially a woman, had all she could do
to keep food on the table, much less buy art supplies for her child,
no matter how much the child wanted them. ...and so, I made do, with
a #2 pencil and a rubber eraser, and I followed Jon's show for
several years, learning to master his basic shapes, the ball, the
cone, the cube, and the cylinder. As the years passed, I went on to
other interests, but always returned to drawing. These days, I can
afford wonderful pencils, pens, brushes, and pastels, but they have
never replaced the early thrill of being able to produce "art"
from my simple tools, a pencil and an eraser.

More than Jon's lessons,
his philosophy is what kept me pursuing art and drawing over the
years, and I believe his philosophy to be true, that everyone is an
artist, and that each of us contains that spark. So, don't let your
lack of confidence hold you back. Pick up a pencil, a pad of paper,
and an eraser. Set up a still life in your kitchen, go out in the
yard and sketch a tree, hold your hand out in front of you and draw
it, but whatever you do, don't stop trying. You will never know where
it can lead you, and the journey will be one of the best ones you
will ever take.